(CNN) - Barbara Streisand is among the Democratic Party's leading Hollywood supporters and has charged President Bush stole the 2000 and 2004 elections, but all that seemed like water under the bridge Sunday when the famed entertainer appeared at the White House.

Streisand, who was honored at the Kennedy Center Sunday evening for her legendary career, got a kiss on the cheek from the president at the White House shortly before the event kicked off. Streisand did give the president a kiss back.

The event was so surreal it was played on video for attendees of the Kennedy Center honors later in the evening.

"Art transcends politics this weekend," Streisand said of her venture to the Bush White House, according to the Associated Press.

Though Streisand, who has called for Bush's impeachment, said it would be "lovely" if she instead received the award under President-elect Barack Obama.

A new polls shows the recession is making the holiday season more stressful.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Americans say the sagging economy is making the 2008 holiday season more stressful than previous years, according to a CNN poll out Monday, with up to two-thirds of them reporting some belt-tightening.

Four in 10 people questioned in the CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey said the recession is adding stress to their holiday season. The poll found 67% of the 1,096 adults questioned said they are cutting the amount they plan to spend on Christmas or Hanukkah gifts, and 65% said they are cutting back on leisure travel, dining out or going to the movies.

"That means that cutting back on holiday is the number one way that Americans are reacting to the recession," CNN Polling Director Keating Holland said. "More Americans are cutting their gift-giving budget than are cutting back in any other category of spending, from leisure activities, like going to movies or restaurants, to clothing to major purchases such as furniture or other appliances."

CNN: Senate seat for Caroline Kennedy would extend legacyCaroline Kennedy, who spent most of her life looking to steer clear of the spotlight, is capping off a year of unusually public - and political - activity with interest in the Senate seat that would be vacated by Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton.

CNN: Rice takes responsibility for troubled Iraq occupation
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Sunday took partial responsibility for the troubled occupation of Iraq, saying the government was not properly structured to handle the problems the United States faced after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein's regime.